Pole and support assembly for an orbital sander

ABSTRACT

An assembly attachable to an orbital sander of the type having a dust extractor containing an exhaust outlet, the assembly comprising mounting means to allow an extension pole to be attached to the assembly, the extension pole being substantially hollow and defining an internal exhaust passageway, and a conduit extending from the extension pole and operatively associated with the exhaust outlet of the orbital sander such that exhaust from the orbital sander passes through the conduit and through the internal exhaust passageway in the extension pole.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a support assembly which can be attached in a particular manner to an orbital sander to allow the sander to be used on walls, ceilings, and the like. In particular, the invention relates to a support assembly which can include a non pivoting handle.

The invention will be described with use of the sander and the assembly in the field of plastering, but it should be appreciated that no limitation is meant thereby.

BACKGROUND ART

In the plastering profession, wall boards, ceiling boards, cornices, and the like are joined in an invisible manner by the use of plaster. The plaster is applied in several coats and must be sanded down between coats. Sanding is extremely time consuming but great care must be taken in order to ensure a smooth and acceptable finish. Ceilings and ceiling corners need to be sanded as well as walls and this requires the use of ladders, scaffolding or even stilts, all of which are time consuming, clumsy and present an element of danger.

Orbital sanders are conventionally used to sand down between coats. For ceilings, the sanders must be held in an upside-down orientation for quite a lengthy time. Similarly, when sanding wall joins, the sander must be held in a vertical position and must often be held above the person's head.

Attempts have been made to hold the orbital sander in some form of cage or housing. The cage or housing can then be attached to an extension pole. However, the cage or housing tends to be quite heavy and is attached at various points to the sander. Often, holes need to be drilled through the sander body or even sander head which can nullify any warranty to the sander and can also present an electrical shock risk.

In our earlier international patent application PCT/AU01/00619 there is described a simple assembly which is attached to an orbital sander and which enables the sander to be held upside down. A pole is attached to the assembly to enable the sander to be held upside down against the ceiling. The pole can be pivotly attached to the assembly. It has been found that such a pivotal attachment means has some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that relatively inexperienced users of the device find it difficult to hold the sander in the correct orientation against the ceiling with a pivoting pole.

During the sanding operation, a large amount of fine dust is generated which can create a health risk. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that as much of the dust as possible is removed and contained and not allowed to become free. Thus, it is known to provide an exhaust system on the orbital sander in an attempt to remove the dust which is generated during the sanding operation. These exhaust systems typically comprise a flexible exhaust hose which is attached to the orbital sander. The hose can be several metres long and couples to a vacuum system which has a dust bag to collect the dust. These long flexible hoses can create a snagging hazard or a tripping hazard and are generally inconvenient. Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to at least partially reduce the existence of such a flexible exhaust hose.

For reasons of safety, it is important that the orbital sander can be quickly switched off when required. However, if the orbital sander is positioned against the ceiling, the switch on the orbital sander is usually not readily accessible. Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to enable the orbital sander to be switched on and switched off quickly and conveniently.

It will be clearly understood that, any prior art reference does not constitute an admission that any of these references form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or in any other country.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an assembly of special design which can be attached to an orbital sander in a particular manner and can function to at least partially reduce the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in an assembly attachable to an orbital sander of the type having a dust extractor containing an exhaust outlet, the assembly comprising mounting means to allow an extension pole to be attached to the assembly, the extension pole being substantially hollow and defining an internal exhaust passageway, and a conduit extending from the extension pole and operatively associated with the exhaust outlet of the orbital sander such that exhaust from the orbital sander passes through the conduit and through the internal exhaust passageway in the extension pole.

In this manner, the long flexible exhaust tubing can be eliminated which greatly reduces the sagging hazard and tripping hazard in the use of the device.

It is preferred that the extension pole is attached to the assembly in a non pivoting manner such that there is no pivoting or hinging movement between the extension pole and the assembly.

The extension pole can be of any suitable length and it is envisaged that the extension pole will have a length of between 0.5-4 m and will preferably have a length of between 0.5-2.0 m. The extension pole may have any suitable shape and will typically be cylindrical, although the extension pole may have a rectangular cross-section, oval cross-section, or any other suitable shape. If the extension pole is cylindrical, it is envisaged that the pole will have a diameter of between 2-10 cm although this can vary. The extension pole is typically made of metal such as aluminium, but can be made of other metals such as steel, plastics, composite materials and the like.

It is preferred that the extension pole is entirely hollow to provide an exhaust passageway. However, it is envisaged that the extension pole may have a closed end portion or end portions and an opening can be formed in the side wall of the extension pole to allow exhaust to pass at least partially through the extension pole.

A conduit may be provided to operatively couple the exhaust passageway of the extension pole to the exhaust of the sander. This conduit may comprise a flexible conduit of sufficient length to allow it to couple. This conduit may be formed of plastics material which may be of a ribbed construction to allow it to be flexible, this type of material being known. However, the conduit may also be rigid or semi rigid, and it is envisaged that the conduit may also form part of the pole should this be desired. Suitably, the conduit couples to the end of the first part of the assembly.

The assembly may be similar to that described in our earlier international patent application and may therefore comprise a first part in the form of an elongate member having a through passageway with two open ends, one end being attachable to the exhaust outlet to attach the assembly to the sander and to allow dust to pass through the first passageway member, the other end being attachable to the conduit, a second part which is extendable over the top, or at least partially over a portion of the sander, and attachment means to allow the assembly to be attached to a pole. Suitably, the first part is an elongate tubular member.

The assembly may include guide means extending from a portion of the assembly spaced from the sander, the guide means being adapted to contact the surface to be sanded and functioning to hold the assembly relative to the surface such that, when attached to the sander, the sander is in working alignment with the surface.

In another form, the invention resides in an assembly for an orbital sander, and as described above, the assembly being attachable to the sander and having guide means adapted for engagement with the surface to be worked.

The assembly has a first part which can comprise a hollow cylindrical tube which can be formed of metal or plastic. The tube is typically straight and has two opposed open ends. One end is attached to the exhaust outlet in such a manner that the dust can pass through the tubular member. If the exhaust outlet is provided with a collar, the tubular member can be fitted about the collar. If necessary, a coupling or other form of attachment means may be required to allow the tubular member to be attached in such a manner that the exhaust dust passes through the tubular member.

The length of the tubular member can vary to suit but a typical length will be between 20-40 cm. The tubular member can have various diameters, or various cross-sections if the tubular member is not circular; it is typical for the diameter to be between 10-30 mm to provide a good flow through of dust.

The other end of the tubular member can be attached to the conduit. For instance, this can be in the form of a short vacuum hose to suck the dust through the tubular member and through the pole to a dust bag. The tubular member need not be attached to a vacuum hose in which case the dust will simply pass out the other open end, but if the tubular member is of sufficient length, this will be away from the person's face.

The assembly has a second part. The second part may also comprise a tubular member and may be of a length and diameter similar to that above. The second part may have a portion which extends at least partially over the top, or over part of the sander, for instance, the handle of the sander. It is preferred that the second part does not extend past the top of the sander as if it does so, it may damage or scratch an adjacent wall. The second part can be attached to the handle of the sander and this can be achieved via a clip, band, fastener or by any other suitable means.

A mounting means is provided to allow the assembly to be attached to a pole. This allows a person to sand the ceiling while standing on the ground. The mounting means may comprise an attachment means in the form of an attachment plate, bracket, collar, and the like. It is preferred that the attachment means is on the second part. It is further preferred that the attachment means is on the second part and generally over the top of the sander, or at a “balance point” of the sander, as this allows an attached pole to properly hold the weight of the assembly and the sander.

The assembly may have a guide means. The guide means extends from a portion of the assembly spaced from the sander and typically is attached to or extends from a rear portion of the first part. The guide means functions to hold the assembly at a position such that the sander face is flat on the wall of ceiling to be worked. The guide means can be in the form of one or more wheel or slide members which can move over the surface to be sanded. The members may be in the form of rearwardly extending fingers. Other forms of guide means are envisaged. For instance, the guide means comprise one or more rollers which may be castor rollers to allow the rollers to swivel. Alternatively, the guide means may be in the form of a simple knob which may be formed of or coated with a low friction material such as Teflon to facilitate sliding over the surface to be sanded. The guide means may be removable from the assembly if not required.

It is preferred that a safety guard is provided to protect the sanding pad. The safety guard may comprise a collar which can be fitted about the sander and which functions to prevent the sander pad from striking an adjacent wall.

To improve the versatility of the assembly, it is preferred that the guard is attachable to the exhaust outlet and/or the first part of the assembly as this eliminates the need to drill holes into any part of the orbital sander itself in which to mount the safety guard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which

FIG. 1. Illustrates the assembly attached to a pole and to an orbital sander in the inverted (ceiling sanding) position.

FIG. 2. Illustrates the assembly in the “upright” position.

FIG. 3. Illustrates the assembly of FIG. 1 with the conduit disconnected.

FIG. 4. Illustrates a slightly different embodiment which has a straight pole and illustrates the conduit attached to the pole.

FIG. 5. Illustrates the assembly of FIG. 1 and more clearly illustrating the two castor wheels.

BEST MODE

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an assembly which is attached to an orbital sander. The orbital sander 10 is available commercially in the marketplace and comprises a handle 11, an on-off trigger 12, a trigger lock button 13 [see FIG. 4], a main plastic body 14 which houses the sander motor, a lower rotating sanding face 15 on which a sanding pad 16 is attached. In the embodiment, sander 10 is fitted with a known dust extracting unit 17 which extracts dust and passes it through an exhaust outlet 18.

Attached to sander 10 is the assembly which forms part of the invention. The assembly has a first part which is in the form of a straight cylindrical hollow tube 19. Tube 19 has two open ends 20, 21. In the embodiment, tube 19 has a diameter such that the tube can be press fitted over outlet 18. If required, a clamp can be attached to firmly hold tube 19 to the outlet. Of course, other types of attachments can be used such as brackets and the like depending on the shape of the exhaust outlet 18. Tube 19 has a diameter of 20 mm and a length of about 25 cm. This can of course vary to suit. Rear end 21 of tube 19 is open.

The assembly contains a second part which is in the form of an elongate shaped tube 23. Tube 23 has two ends being a rear end 24 and a front end 25. Rear end 24 is rigidly attached to the rear portion of tube 19 via a pair of bracket plates 22 to hold the two parts firmly with respect to each other. Tube 23 is shaped such that it overlies the handle 11 of the sander and is attached thereto by a band 90. The length of tube 23 is such that forward end 25 is spaced inwardly with respect to a leading edge of the sander such that forward end 25 will not strike an adjacent wall and cause damage to it.

A mounting means in the form of an attachment means is provided to allow the assembly to be attached to a pole. In the embodiment, the attachment means is in the form of a plate 26 which extends transversely over an upper part of tube 23. This is better illustrated with respect to FIG. 2. Plate 26 has two spaced apart outwardly extending threaded bolts 30.

A pole 50 is mounted in a non pivoting manner to the assembly. That is, the pole does not pivot or hinge relative to the assembly. Pole 50 is made of metal tubing and has a length of between 0.5-2.0 m and a diameter of typically about 50 mm. The pole is hollow to provide an exhaust passageway. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 the pole is “kinked” at the end where it attaches to the assembly, while in FIG. 4, the pole is straight.

Pole 50 is formed with a mounting plate 51A (see FIG. 2) at one end which attaches to mounting plate 26 of the assembly. Thus, pole 50 is rigidly attached to the assembly. Mounting plate 51A is welded or otherwise attached to the end of the pole at an angle to enable the orbital sander to be used comfortably.

Pole 50 is provided with an exhaust inlet 51 which couples to a flexible ribbed conduit 52. The conduit 52 is typically fixed to exhaust inlet 51 such that conduit 52 cannot be dislodged from pole 50. The other end of conduit 52 is provided with a mounting cup 53 which press fits over end 21 of tubular member 19. The lower end of pole 50 (not illustrated) can be attached to an exhaust tube and ultimately to the vacuum machine. Thus, apart from short conduit 52 there is no long conduit attaching the orbital sander to the vacuum machine and which can present a tripping hazard or a snagging hazard.

The assembly has a guide means. The guide means in the embodiment is in the form of a pair of caster rollers 34 [see FIG. 5]. Rollers 34 are attached plates 22 at a position distant to sander 10. Thus, when the assembly is attached to the sander, the assembly can be pressed against the wall or ceiling such that rollers 35 ride along the wall of ceiling which ensures that pad 16 is also in a working alignment and will not gouge into the surface to be worked.

A safety guard 40 [see FIG. 1] is fitted about sander 10 and functions to prevent pad 16 from striking an adjacent wall which can damage the pad but can also cause damage to the wall. Guard 40 comprises a buffer or barrier which, when viewed in plan, extends proud of the edges of the pad in a forward area to minimise or prevent the pad from striking an adjacent wall. In the embodiment, guard 40 is attached to the sander via small screws 56 [see FIG. 2]. The safety guard 40 is formed of metal and extends about the forward portion of the sander.

In the particular embodiment, the on/off switch 12 of the orbital sander can be accessed remotely and particularly using a switch on the bottom of pole 50. Various ways of achieving this are envisaged. In one way, there may be provided a member which depresses trigger 12 in the on position. The member can be manipulated from the bottom of pole 50 by means of a cable, rod or other means to enable the trigger on the orbital sander to be manipulated between the on position and the off position. A more sophisticated technique may include an electric isolating switch in the electric cable which powers the orbital sander. These various means may pass through the inside of handle 50 to make them less prone to snagging or damage.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Throughout the specification and the claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 

1. An assembly attachable to an orbital sander of the type having a dust extractor containing an exhaust outlet, the assembly comprising mounting means to allow an extension pole to be attached to the assembly, the extension pole being substantially hollow and defining an internal exhaust passageway, and a conduit extending from the extension pole or forming part of the extension pole and operatively associated with the exhaust outlet of the orbital sander such that exhaust from the orbital sander passes through the conduit and through the internal exhaust passageway in the extension pole.
 2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly has a hollow tubular member one end of which is attached to the exhaust outlet of the orbital sander and the other end of which is attachable to the conduit.
 3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conduit comprises a bendable tube.
 4. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting means comprises a mounting plate.
 5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the extension pole is mounted to the assembly in a non pivoting manner.
 6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orbital sander is provided with an on/off switch, the assembly comprising means to retain the switch in the on the position, and means on the handle to enable the assembly to be switched on/off.
 7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, including a guide means.
 8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide means comprises at least two caster rollers.
 9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orbital sander is provided with a sander pad and the assembly includes a safety guard assembly to prevent the sander pad from striking an adjacent wall. 